Ganton Golf Club, inland links fairways and gorse in the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire
Ranked · England's broad acres

The Best Golf Courses in Yorkshire

Three Ryder Cups have been played in this one county, and the golf to thank for it is inland: a rare links among the gorse at Ganton, and the springy MacKenzie heath of Leeds. This is our ranked verdict on the eight courses that matter most in Yorkshire, with the design pedigree, the championship history, who gets on and how, and the smartest way to build them into a trip.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · Editorial policy · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Ganton Golf Club, Yorkshire, via Google

How we chose them

Yorkshire is England's inland golf heartland, and our ranking reflects that. We lead with Ganton because it is the county's masterpiece and one of the finest inland courses in the British Isles, a true links on sandy soil far from the sea that hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup. Behind it come the two Alister MacKenzie heathland courses on the northern edge of Leeds, Alwoodley and Moortown, the ground on which the architect of Augusta National learned his craft, and Lindrick on the southern border, scene of the famous 1957 Ryder Cup. We weigh architecture, atmosphere and the quality of the walk above conditioning or clubhouse polish, and every design fact below was verified in June 2026 against club and ranking sources.

We also ranked for the trip. The Leeds heath gives you three or four high class rounds within half an hour of each other, the ideal spine of a Yorkshire week, with Ganton a worthwhile day east toward Scarborough and the coast. Fees move with season and weekday and are highest in summer, so treat any figure as indicative and confirm directly before booking. Courses we have profiled in full are linked from each entry.

The ranking

01

Ganton

Vardon, Colt, MacKenzie and Simpson · Vale of Pickering · 1949 Ryder Cup · par 71

Set on a bed of sandy soil far inland near Scarborough, Ganton is that rarest thing, a links without the sea, and it is the best course in Yorkshire by a clear margin. Harry Vardon was the professional here, and the layout carries the hands of Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie and Tom Simpson, with deep, sandy bunkers and a wall of gorse that turns the course gold in spring. It hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup and the 2003 Walker Cup, plays to a par of 71 around 7,000 yards, and ranks among the top inland courses in Britain and Ireland. Visitors most weekdays by prior arrangement, handicap certificate required.

How to get a tee time in Yorkshire

02

Alwoodley

Alister MacKenzie, 1907 · north Leeds · heathland · visitors weekdays

Alwoodley is where it all began for Alister MacKenzie: his first design, laid out in 1907 on the heather and birch of Wigton Moor with Harry Colt's guidance, the proving ground for the principles he would later take to Cypress Point and Augusta National. The fairways run firm and springy, the bunkering is artful rather than penal, and the large, subtly contoured greens are the making of the round. It is a connoisseur's heathland course of the very highest order, welcoming to visitors on weekdays and restricted at weekends.

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03

Moortown

Alister MacKenzie · north Leeds · first Ryder Cup on British soil, 1929 · heathland

A short drive from Alwoodley and built by the same hand, Moortown staged the first Ryder Cup played on British soil in 1929, when Great Britain beat the United States with George Duncan's side. MacKenzie's famous par 3 known as Gibraltar, a green perched on a plateau ringed by bunkers, was one of the holes he built to win the club its place in history, and the course remains a strong, handsome heathland test that hosts championship golf to this day. Visitors are welcome most days; book ahead.

Plan a Yorkshire golf trip

04

Lindrick

Heathland · near Worksop, the county border · 1957 Ryder Cup · visitors welcome

On the limestone heath where Yorkshire meets Nottinghamshire, Lindrick is remembered with affection across British golf because it was here, in 1957, that Great Britain and Ireland beat the United States to win the Ryder Cup, their only victory in a 28 year stretch. The course is a fine, old fashioned heathland layout, tight and tree lined in places, open and breezy in others, with crisp turf and good greens. It welcomes visitors with some day restrictions and makes a natural pairing with Sheffield's moorland courses to the north.

Plan a Yorkshire golf trip

05

Fulford

Parkland · York · long time European Tour host · confirm fees directly

Just south of the city of York, Fulford is the parkland that British golf fans of a certain age know from television: for years it hosted the Benson and Hedges International on the European Tour, and its 17th green is forever the spot where Severiano Ballesteros once played his approach from up in a tree. The turf is fast and the greens are superb, a true championship test on gentle ground, and the club is welcoming to visitors and societies through the week. The easiest first or last round of a Yorkshire trip.

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06

Hallamshire

Moorland · Sheffield · championship venue · confirm fees directly

High on the western edge of Sheffield, with the Peak District filling the horizon, Hallamshire is the pick of the city's strong set of moorland courses: a breezy, heather framed layout with fine views and a proper championship pedigree, long used for county and regional events. The ground tumbles and climbs, the par 3s are excellent, and on a clear day the setting is as good as inland golf in England gets. A warm welcome for visitors, and a value round by the standards of the courses above it.

Plan a Yorkshire golf trip

07

Ilkley

Parkland · Wharfedale · riverside golf · confirm fees directly

In the valley of the River Wharfe beneath Ilkley Moor, Ilkley is one of the prettiest parkland courses in the north of England, and a club with a famous golfing son in Colin Montgomerie, whose father was the secretary here. The river is in play across the opening holes, lending a charm and a hazard that few inland courses can match, before the round climbs gently away from the water. Honest, well kept and genuinely enjoyable, it is the relaxed, scenic counterpoint to the heath and links higher on this list. Visitor friendly; book ahead.

Plan a Yorkshire golf trip

08

Pannal

Heathland and moorland · Harrogate · championship venue · confirm fees directly

On the high ground south of the spa town of Harrogate, Pannal is a fine heathland and moorland course that has hosted championship and county golf for decades and rounds out the Leeds and Harrogate cluster perfectly. The turf is springy, the greens are quick, and the elevated holes give it both views and exposure to the wind. With Alwoodley and Moortown a short drive away, it completes a base around Harrogate that puts three or four of Yorkshire's best within half an hour of breakfast. Visitor friendly through the week.

Plan a Yorkshire golf trip

Design facts and championship history verified June 2026 from club and ranking sources; green fees vary by season and day and are highest in summer, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Building the trip

The classic Yorkshire itinerary bases around Harrogate or north Leeds for three or four nights and works the MacKenzie heath: Alwoodley, Moortown and Pannal sit within half an hour of each other, with Ilkley a short drive into Wharfedale for the scenic rest day round. Ganton is the one to plan around and the one worth a journey, an hour east toward Scarborough, and it pairs naturally with a night on the coast or a long day trip from the Harrogate base. Lindrick and Hallamshire anchor a southern leg around Sheffield if you want to work the whole county. Leeds Bradford airport sits in the middle of it all, and the motorways make moving between clusters easy. Our guide to how to play golf in Yorkshire maps the access course by course.

Timing is the lever. Summer brings the firmest heath and the fastest greens along with the busiest tee sheets, while April, May, September and October bring the same golf for less and quieter courses. Get Ganton booked first, with the handicap paperwork ready, and the rest of a Yorkshire trip falls into place around it. For the wider picture, see our guides to golf in England and the best courses in England, and compare notes with the heathland of the south on our best courses in Surrey list.

Plan your Yorkshire golf trip

The MacKenzie heath of Leeds, a day at Ganton and the handicap paperwork that gets you on, plus the Harrogate base that keeps every first tee within half an hour. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge builds the Yorkshire trip around your dates, with no obligation.

Yorkshire golf questions

What is the best golf course in Yorkshire?

Ganton is the best golf course in Yorkshire, a magnificent inland links in the Vale of Pickering near Scarborough that hosted the 1949 Ryder Cup and the 2003 Walker Cup and carries design work from Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, Alister MacKenzie and Tom Simpson. Its closest rivals are the MacKenzie heathland pair of Alwoodley and Moortown on the northern edge of Leeds, with Lindrick on the southern county border completing the top four.

Can visitors play Ganton?

Yes. Ganton welcomes visitors on most weekdays by prior arrangement, subject to a handicap certificate and availability. Summer dates fill early, so book well ahead, bring proof of handicap, and confirm current tee times and fees directly with the club before booking.

Which Yorkshire courses can visitors play?

Almost all of the best. Ganton, Alwoodley, Moortown, Lindrick, Fulford, Hallamshire, Ilkley and Pannal are members clubs that welcome visitors, most readily on weekdays. Ganton asks for a handicap certificate and advance arrangement; the others are more relaxed. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.

When is the best time for a Yorkshire golf trip?

May to September gives the warmest weather and the firmest heathland and inland links turf, along with the busiest tee sheets and highest fees. April and October are excellent value shoulders with quieter courses, while winter golf is playable but cold and soft. The Leeds heath and Ganton drain well, so the shoulder months are a fine time to travel.

Related

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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and championship history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.